Last Stand, Last Words
by Miranda Panda-chan
Summary: Second Sequence in the 'I Know You' Arc. Sakura's thoughts during the last civil battle of Team 7, in which Naruto is out for the count, but nothing will ever change, and history repeats itself over and over again. Team 7 Drabble Fic.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**A/N: The second sequence in the 'I know you' arc! It makes me happy! HUZZAH!  
This is Sakura's POV during the final civil battle of Team 7, it's an all or nothing situation, and Naruto's out for the count…**

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Last Stand, Last Words

The Second sequence in the "I Know You" Arc

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I know, we've been through this scene so many times before, Sasuke-kun, I know you won't stay. I know you won't let me come with you. And I know you. You're just on an endless search for power. We don't mean anything to you anymore, do we, Sasuke-kun? No, I can see it in your eyes. We don't. We're just obstacles, bonds that need to be broken, demons from your own personal hell come to keep you from avenging your clan. I've begun to realize all that. But to us: Naruto and I. You are everything.

And Sasuke, I'm not weak. I'm not a coward. I can face the world and the challenges it gives me. I don't hide behind scowls, cold glares, icy remarks, nonchalance, and _power_. I don't hide at all. I'll take them all on. I've got Naruto and Kakashi, Tsunade and Shizune, and all the rest of the Rookie 11. So don't you dare call me weak, you bastard. I'll be stronger mentally then you'll ever be in your whole life, because I've never run away. I've faced everything you've thrown at me, everything that Life's thrown at me, even Death—and I've yet to lose. So I don't plan for this to be our last meeting, and eventually, even I do have to drag you back to the gates of our beloved village, you** will**come home.

I'm not afraid of your sharingan. Have you not noticed, Sasuke-kun? I'm blind. Your kekkai genkai can no longer affect me. I did this to myself. Your brother tortured me until I stabbed my own eyes beyond repair, it wasn't until after you'd killed him and left, all the while I was only a couple of yards away, that the Retrieval Team came to find me bleeding in the basement of the Akatsuki's headquarters.

I know you're staring at me, Sasuke-kun. I can feel your questioning curious gaze. Why haven't I given up yet? When Naruto's almost gotten himself killed multiple times? When I've been blinded? When I lost my family to Sound-nins, that I know for a fact were your subordinates? When I've almost lost my life to you myself almost as much as Naruto has? Why am I still who I was? I'm not, Sasuke-kun. I'm different.

I'm no longer that scrawny kunoichi fangirling over your gorgeous looks and your cold attitude. I'm no longer a child. I'm not weak. I'm not chasing after love that will never be returned. I'm chasing after my friend. My friend that needs to come home to his family. That's what we are, Sasuke-kun. You, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, me, Sai, Yamato, Tsunade, the rest of the rookies—we're all a huge family. And we love one another. That's why you're coming home with me this time. I'm tired of knowing how disappointed they must look when Naruto or I come home empty-handed.

I know I can't make you stay, and I'd ask where your heart was, but I know now, so I won't. Do you know where your heart is Sasuke-kun? It's dead. Along with your brother. You left it at his tomb. It was trying to heal itself before that final battle, but you're the one that finally just cut it out and laid it over your brother's corpse. Because, of course, corpses would have much better use of it than you. Don't make me laugh, Sasuke-kun. You just don't want to feel. You're afraid. You're a coward. I doubt this scene will ever change. You'll always almost kill Naruto before you change your mind, and he'll be so exhausted and out of chakra he'll slip into unconsciousness. I'll try to stop you, fighting you, reasoning with you, simply rambling to you, and you will always say that I'm annoying. That we should just stop, just give up. Give up on trying to take you home with us. I don't think so, Sasuke-kun. I'm tired of waiting. Not this time. You're not going to walk away from this one unscathed. Your emotional constipation is beginning to get on my nerves, and I've decided that this has gone far enough.

Will you come home…where you belong? It isn't as bad as you seem to make it to be, Sasuke. We aren't a cage trying to hold you back. We're family. Haggard, torn, rough, and old, but we've still held through more storms than any freshly made one. We've been patched up time and time again, and we'll just sew you back on to our little quilt. If you don't come home…I'm afraid that I must tell you Sasuke-kun, one of us will die here. I'm tired of seeing Naruto sad, and you can go ahead and remind me of my lack of eyesight, but I know. I know how he looks heartbroken, and how his voice cracks when you're brought into a conversation. How anger takes over his voice when you're insulted, how he stands up for you even now—an S-class missing nin!—and in the same sentence tells the world he's going to be the next Hokage. You're crushing him, and I'll take no more of it. So either kill me, or I'll kill you. I know you won't come up. I'm not trying to delude myself, I just wanted to have that last shred of hope…but you've just killed that shred haven't you…? Can you leave nothing intact, Sasuke-kun? Must you destroy everything that loves you?

I'll admit my feelings for you. They aren't merely platonic, they're far greater than that of friendship, or family. I love you, really love you. You doubt the validity of it, I know. But that doesn't change the truth of the matter. Nothing can ever change that.

So now as I take my final stand against you, bleeding profusely in too many places to know the full extent of your damage, and knowing I'm highly disadvantaged with my lack of eyesight and your eyesight that sees all, I wish you happiness. Happiness beyond measure, and even though you're laughing at my naivety, or at least that's what you're calling it, I wish you all the happiness this world has to offer you.

You move closer, I hear your sword, inches from my chest, I feel the coolness of the blade even from here. I know I must look pathetic. I know you're probably ashamed to ever have associated with me, but I could care less. You're my friend, my brother, my only love, and you're Sasuke-kun, which is enough reason to want you to be happy in the first place.

So Sasuke-kun…will you kill me? Will you dip your precious Kusanagi in my crimson blood and parade it like a flag? Will you not take a second glance at my withering corpse? Will you feel regret? Will you ever retrieve the happiness that I've wished upon you as you leave your only friends bleeding and alone—dying—or will you do everything to oppose my last request? For now, farewell. Farewell, Sasuke-kun, and I hope this world becomes a brighter place for you when you've achieved your goal of killing off your friends, or breaking your bonds as you've so nicely put it. And I hope you remember the last acts of Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. Because we'll never forget yours.

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A/N: I know this is confusing, but it's more of less her thoughts, and things get a little confusing when you're suffering from severe blood loss, confusion, and depression. Read and review please!


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